Testimony underway in trial of Celebration man accused of killing family

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Testimony is underway Monday in Osceola County in the murder trial of a man accused of killing his family in 2019.

Anthony Todt is accused of killing his wife, their three children and the family’s dog in December of 2019, then living in the home with their bodies until they were discovered a month later.

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Prosecutors said Todt, who has pleaded not guilty to the killings, at first confessed to the killings but later blamed the deaths on his wife and told his sister that his wife may have tried to harm them before.

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In June 2020, in a letter to his father, Todt said when he returned home, his wife told him she gave the children “Benadryl pie,” stabbed them and suffocated them. Then she turned the knife on herself.

Prosecutors had initially said they would not be seeking the death penalty for Todt, but in a 2021 filing told the court they would seek the death penalty in connection with all three deaths.

WATCH: Defense can’t discuss mental health of Celebration man accused of killing family, judge says

The defense said they will hold of on their opening statements until later.

In January, a judge ruled Todt’s defense team will not be allowed to discuss Todt’s mental health during the trial.

Channel 9 will be in the courtroom and will have continuing coverage on Eyewitness News.

Video: Opening statements set for Monday in trial of Celebration man accused of killing wife, 3 children Opening statements are set to begin Monday in the murder trial of a man accused of killing his Osceola County family in 2019. (WFTV)

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